1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data processing apparatus capable of commonly using cards such as a magnetic card, IC card and the like which need direct contact to deliver data and non-contact type cards in which data is delivered through a radio waves, and more specifically, to a card inserting unit of the data processing apparatus.
2. Description Of The Related Art
Although magnetic cards and IC cards which need contact with a magnetic head, electrode terminal probe or the like for the delivery of data have come into wide use as prepaid cards, passes and the like, non-contact type cards which deliver data through radio waves and do not need contact are also being gradually introduced. Recently a data processing apparatus capable of commonly using magnetic cards and IC cards (hereinafter, referred to collectively as a contact type card and the non-contact type card has begun to be used. An example of this type of the apparatus is an automatic ticket checking machine (hereinafter, referred to as an automatic gate).
FIGS. 6A and 6B schematically show a conventional automatic gate for commonly processing a contact type card and non-contact type card, wherein FIG. 6A is an upper plan view of the automatic gate and FIG. 6B is a perspective side view schematically showing the internal arrangement of the main body 1a of the automatic gate. In the Figures, numeral 1 designates the automatic gate which can process both a magnetic card and non-contact type card and is composed of main bodies 1a and 1b between which a passenger walks in the direction of an arrow A; numeral 2 designates a magnetic card, numeral 3 designates a card inserting port for the magnetic card 2; numeral 4 designates a card sensor for sensing the magnetic card 2 inserted; numeral 5 designates a fetching roller for fetching the magnetic card 2 into the main body 1a and feeding the same into the interior thereof; numeral 6 designates a reading magnetic head for reading the data of the magnetic card 2; numeral 7 designates a writing magnetic head for writing data to the magnetic card 2; numeral 8 designates a display unit for displaying the result of the data processing of the magnetic card 2; numeral 9 designates a card feed roller for discharging the magnetic card 2 to a discharge port 10, and numeral 11 designates the gate of the gating machine to be opened and closed by a gate drive unit 12 as shown by an arrow. FIG. 6A shown the state that the gate 11 is closed to stop a passenger. Numeral 13 designates a non-contact type card; numeral 14 designates an antenna for transmitting data to and receiving data from the non-contact type card 13; and numeral 15 designates a main control unit including a CPU, memory (not shown) and the like for controlling the above respective components to thereby control the fetching and discharging of the magnetic card 2, data processing of the magnetic card 2 and non-contact type card 13, and further the display of the result based on the result of the data processing and the opening/closing of the gate 11.
Note, although the automatic gate shown in FIGS. 6A and 6b is actually provided with a human sensor, a sensor for discriminating an adult from a child and the like in addition to the above components, these components are not shown. In addition, the inner arrangement shown in FIG. 6B schematically shows the function thereof.
Further, FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a process for processing the magnetic card 2 as a contact type card and FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a process for processing the non-contact type card 13.
Next, operation will be described.
First, the process for processing the magnetic card will be described with reference to FIGS. 6A, 6B and 7. A user or a passenger approaches to the automatic gate 1 and inserts the magnetic card 2 into the inserting port 3 (step S1). At this time, the card sensor 4 senses the insertion of the card and transmits a signal to the main control unit 15 (step S2). The fetching roller 5 is rotated in response to the signal and moves the card 2 to the position of the reading magnetic head 6 (step S3). The reading head 6 reads the data of the magnetic card 2 and transmits the data to the main control unit 15 (step S4). The main control unit 15 discriminates and determines or calculates the truth/falsehood of the data of the card, passing conditions thereof and the like, determines whether the card is valid or invalid (step S5). When the card is valid, the result of the determination and the result of a predetermined calculation is written to the card 2 through the writing magnetic head 7 (step S6), and at the same time the results are displayed on the display unit 8 (step S7). Then, the feed roller 9 is driven in rotation to discharge the card 2 to the discharge port 10 (step S8). At this time, the passenger moves from the card inserting port 3 to the card discharge port 10, a signal based on the result of the determination effected by the main control unit 15 is transmitted to the gate drive unit 12, and thus when the card is valid, the gate 11 is opened, whereas when the card is invalid, the gate 11 is closed as shown in FIG. 6A. With this arrangement, the passenger is permitted to pass through the gating machine or prohibited from passing therethrough (step S9). Finally, the passenger takes out the card 2 from the card discharge port 10 (step S10).
Next, a process for processing the non-contact type card will be described with reference to FIGS. 6A, 6B and 8. Since the non-contact type card 13 has means for transmitting a signal to and receiving a signal from the antenna 14 or a coil through radio waves or electromagnetic induction, a passenger need only cause the non-contact type card 13 to approach the antenna 14 (step S11). Since the antenna 14 produces a trigger signal, the non-contact type card 13 approaching the antenna 14 is enabled by the trigger signal from the antenna 14 (steps S12-S13). The enabled card 13 transmits the ticket examination data contained therein to the antenna 14 (step S14). The data received by the antenna 14 is discriminated and determined by the main control unit 15 in the same way as the magnetic card 2 (steps S15-S16). Then, the result of the discrimination and determination is transmitted to the non-contact type card 13 through the antenna 14 as well as being displayed on the display unit 8 (steps S17-S18). Further, the gate is opened or closed by controlling the gate drive unit 12 depending upon whether the card is valid or not which is determined based on the result of the discrimination and determination (step S19). Then, the passing operation of the card 13 is completed (step S20).
In this type of the automatic gate, the inserting port 3 of the magnetic card 2 and the antenna 14 of the non-contact type card 13 are located at different positions on the main body 1a of the automatic gate 1.
Incidentally, although the magnetic card came into wide use first and then the non-contact type card developed recently and is being gradually introduced, the magnetic card needs contact, whereas the non-contact type card has the feature that it does not need contact and it suffices only to "hold" or "pass" the non-contact type card over the gating machine (e.g., only to cause the non-contact type card to approach the machine to a distance of about 10-20 cm). Thus, the non-contact type card is advantageous in that it need not be specially taken out from a pass holder, purse, handbag or the like, etc. As a result, there is a tendency that the non-contact type card is applied to the machine used for the magnetic card in the same way as the magnetic card.
The conventional data processing apparatus (e.g., the automatic gate) in which the contact type card and non-contact type card can be commonly used is arranged as described above. Nevertheless, since the magnetic card and non-contact type card have a completely different data delivery system and arrangement of components, the card inserting port for the magnetic card and the antenna for the non-contact type card are disposed on the main body of the automatic gating machine or buried therein at different positions. Therefore, there is a possibility that the sequence of passengers may be reversed to the sequence for processing cards in a rush hour when passengers crowd the automatic gate.
In the gating machine shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the card inserting port 3 for the magnetic card is located on the near side and the antenna 14 for the non-contact type card is located on the far side with respect to a path shown by the arrow A. Therefore, there is a possibility that although a passenger with the non-contact type card first enters the gating machine and advances to the antenna 14 to cause the non-contact type card to approach thereto, another passenger with the magnetic card 2 following the above passenger may put the card into the card inserting port 3 before the non-contact type card approaches to the antenna 14.
On the other hand, even if the position of the card inserting port 3 and that of the antenna 14 are reversed in FIGS. 6A and 6B, there is a possibility that the sequence in which respective passengers put the cards into or causes them to approach the gate machine is reversed to the sequence of the passengers. Since the main control unit of the gate machine preferentially processes a card which is sensed first or a card whose data is received first, a problem arises in that the sequence of passengers is reversed to the sequence for processing cards and thus a fault check of cards arises, with the result that passengers making use of the gate machine are greatly troubled and a large confusion is caused in a rush hour in which tickets cannot be normally examined.